the news starts right now with jake tapper's exclusive interview with benjamin netanyahu starts now. i'm jake tapper. live in jerusalem. welcome to a cnn e collusive report. tonight the eyes of the world once again upon the middle east. at the end of the bloodiest month for israel and the west bank in years. israeli prime minister netanyahu

choosing now to sit down with cnn for an exclusive interview, his first televised interview since returning to power. in recent days the u.s. secretary of state, cia director and the white house national security adviser have all converged here. a clear sign that the biden administration and closest allies realize this region is frankly on the precipes. over the next hour you're hear from prime minister benjamin netanyahu on a number of key topics including how he envisions any sort of peace with the palestinians. the backlash to his new right-wing coalition government, whether israel plans to further help ukraine in its war against russia, including militarily and his relationships with both the current and former presidents of the united states. we started our conversation on the surge of violence between israelis and palestinians, which in recent days set off fears of perhaps a new uprising that could lead to a bloody, deadly

war. tonight, the u.s. state department confirms senior u.s. officials are remaining in the middle east after traveling here to try to help israel and the palestinian authority, quote, lower the temperature. and that's where i started our exclusive conversation with prime minister netanyahu earlier tonight. prime minister netanyahu, thank you so much for joining us. >> my pleasure. welcome. >> so -- >> wait a minute. wait a minute. i have to tell you something. before i go into this, you're from philadelphia. >> i am from philadelphia. >> i spent some years in philadelphia. >> i know. >> i don't want to intervene in your football politics i understand the eagles made it to the super bowl. >> we did. >> i offer you my personal congratulations. ask me anything you want. >> thanks. you're trying to butter me up a little. >> yes, of course i am. >> let's turn to a more serious subject. we're speaking at a rather perilous time it feels like in this region right now. one of the bloodiest months in israel in the region has seen in years and years. seven israelis shot outside a synagogue at the entrance of a

synagogue on friday, international holocaust remembrance day. that was one day after ten palestinians were killed after a raid in the west bank during a raid in the west bank. you promised a strong and swift response to the shooting of the israelis. how worried are you about everything just spiraling out of control, as we have unfortunately seen happen in the past? >> look, i think there's always a danger of that. and i do everything in my power to contain it. i can tell you that the last ten years in during which i was prime minister were the safest and quietest in israel's history. but periodically we had to take swift and strong action against the terrorists. i don't believe in collective punishment, but i believe in focussed action both against the terrorists themselves, this action that you refer to was action against intelligence that gave us a ticking bomb, a terrorist outfit that was out to murder israelis and happily we knocked them out. unfortunately one woman was killed in the cross fire. >> a civilian. >> a civilian.

but what we encountered in last two years including in the outgoing government was doubling of terrorist attacks from the palestinians because the palestinian authority was not really exercising its power to fight the terrorists. so the israeli army had to come in and we had to come in the last few weeks, too. i'm taking targeted action against the terrorists. their immediate circle of supporters who were involved in helping them do the terror acts or celebrated with fireworks and the candies and other things that after the terrorist act. we think if we take targeted action on the terrorists and their immediate -- immediate circle, this can actually lower the incentive for what we call lone terrorists. they're not lone, they're within a context. so you want to -- want to target them but keep the economy going, keep 150,000 palestinians works in israel, haven't close it even if r a minute. i don't intend to. >> so right now everyone in the

region, especially allies, like secretary of state blinken and others are calling for everyone to bring down the temperature. the security council of israel met saturday and announced a number of measures, including strengthening settlements, more punishment of family members of terrorists, which i think you were alluding to a degree there and other measures. i'm wondering, did secretary blinken express to you whether he thought those measures would actually bring the temperature down or actually exacerbate it? >> well, he certainly said what i agree with we should do everything in our power to deescalate, which we will. it's not targeting family members. it's targeting family members who were involved in the terror acts or supported it after the act was done. and i think you have to understand, these terrorists are then celebrated, are paid by the palestinian authority, the more they murder the more they get paid. the family members who supported the terrorism get social

security benefits and other things. that's what we targeted. that disincentivizes the te terr terrorists. they want to really uproot us. i said that you're not going to uproot us. we're here to stay, including in the jewish communities and territories they want to uproot. that's not going to happen. i want to disensent vise them. my record is actually the best record of any israeli prime minister of any government in containing it. it's going to be tough. it's not going to be easy. but i think with -- i would say a judicious use of force and the willingness to cooperate with the palestinian authority and security matters, i think we can control it. that's my hope. i hope we succeed. we have in the past. we should now. >> so you were just referred to jewish communities in the west bank. i know there's concern in the biden administration and in the western world about some of those communities.

i don't know which ones specifically you're talking about. some are illegal and there are concerns about expanding some of those settlements, about annexing land. what did secretary blinken say to you about that? because my impression is that the biden administration and certainly he said this publicly when he met with you earlier is worried about that. and worried about that bringing israel in a path where peace is never going to be possible. >> well, i totally disagree because i think that the fact that we're here and our people -- the jewish people have been here for 3,500 years, the fact that jews live here and will continue to live here and palestinians will continue to live here and we have to live together, we're not going to ethnically cleanse the heartland of the jewish people and we're not going to ethnically cleanse israel. 20% of israel's population is arabs. we're not going to say we're not going to have peace until we kick out the arabs from israel and not going to have peace until we kick out the jewss from

these areas that are disputed. they're not illegal, disputed. the only way to resolve is have peace negotiations with the palestinians who consistently refuse to enter. now i think we can get hung up on this and we have in the past. people said unless you have peace with the palestinians you're not going to have broader peace with the arab world. 25 years the palestinians who don't want peace with israel want to see a peace without israel who don't want to stay next to israel but a state instead of israel, that in effect of veto on israel's expansion of the peace, circle of peace around it. i went around them. i went directly to the arab states and forged with a new concept of peace for peace, peace through strength. i forged four historic peace agreements. >> the abraham accords. >> twice the number of peace agreements that all my predecessors in 70 years got combined. >> let me ask you about it. i know you're committed to the abraham accords which are a huge achievement by president trump

and by you. i know you want to keep going. what happens when let's say the big prize is -- i know sudan is on the table. some of these southeastern asian countries are on the table, but the big prize is saudi arabia. what happens when saudi arabia gets the u.s. to go along with some of the things that they want from the u.s. in terms of security measures, but they say, look, prime minister netanyahu, they probably call you bibi, i need something for the palestinians in order to go along with this. i can't do this around the palestinians. that's important to me and to my constituency. what are you willing to give? are you willing to let people in the west bank vote? are you willing to let the 300,000 arabing who have residency in east jerusalem vote? >> well, i'm certainly willing to have them have all the powers they need to govern themselves. but none of the powers that can threaten us. this means that israel should have the overriding security responsibility because every time we moved out, say from

lebanon, basically iran came in with its proxy hezbollah. we moved out of gaza, the hamas took over. if we just walk away, as people suggest, then you'll have hamas and iran move into the hills around jerusalem overlooking tel aviv. so i think there's a formula for peace. but my view is because of the fact that the continue yum, the persistent palestinian review to refuse a jewish, that persists. if we wait for them, we're not going to have peace. people said you have to work your way outside in. first, inside out. first peace with the palestinians, peace with the arab world. i think realistically it has to be the ore way around. we make peace with saudi arabia, depends on the saudi leadership. and bring the conflict to an end, i think we'll circle back to the palestinians and get a workable peace with the palestinians.

i think that's possible. and i think that's the way to go. >> is it a two-state solution? >> well, i wouldn't call it necessarily that because i don't think that -- i had a discussion with my friend of 40 years. i'm not just saying friend of 40 years, joe biden. i mean that. a personal friend of 40 years and friend of israel. a real champion of israel. and i told him, what i just told you, i said, look, any final agreement between israel and the palestinians would have israel controlling security overriding security responsibility in the area west of the jordan, that is includes both the palestinian and jewish, israeli areas the size of the washington beltway, the width of the washington beltway. i said you can't divide who controls the air space. you have to cross it. it takes two minutes for an airline to cross it. so what, one minute israel controls it and the other minute the palestinians? of course it's not workable. he said to me, as others have said to me, you know, but that's not perfect sovereignty.

i said, you're right. i don't know what you call it, but it gives them the opportunity to control their lives, to elect their officials, to run their economy, to run their institutions, to have their flag and have their parliament, but we have to have overriding security control. and i think that's the way we're going to end up, but i don't think we're going to end up now because the palestinians refuse to negotiate a real peace and the reason -- that's not because of me. for many years people said i was the obstacle to peace. well, i was removed. they had barack come in as prime minister. sh sharone and robin before me. none of them succeeded because of this persistent obstacle. so i think that if we want to go into a rabbit's hole and try to resolve that and avoid going to the arab world, i think we should go to the arab world. i leave myself open to negotiation with the palestinians at any time. but i think that the way we're

going to succeed is not let the palestinian tail wag the body of the arab world. get the peace with the arab world and get the more rekal is a strint palestinians moved out, not physically from dominating the political scene, you'll have the israeli public with outstretched hand for real peace. you asked me about saudi arabia. >> i'll come back in a second. but there's one other big news that happened just in the last few days. it's been a very eventful few days. and that is over the weekend unidentified quad continuer drones attacked a military plant deep inside iranian territory. you talked about the need for israel and you in fact said this is a cause of yours, a mission of yours to protect the israeli people from an existential threat from iran and iran's nuclear program. the incident was nearly identical to previous attacks said to have been carried out by israel, including a series of drone strikes against iranian nuclear facilities in 2021 and

20 22. did israel carry out this strike in iran over this weekend? >> i never talk about specific operations with the exception i think of our raid on iran's secret nuclear archive. and every time some explosion takes place the middle east, israel is blamed or given responsibility. sometimes we are. sometimes we're not. but i will say there -- you're right. there's an overriding mission that i have. i came back and ran in these elections and was elected the sixth time for the sixth time because i have threeover riding goals. one is to thwart iran's nuclear ambitions. second is to expand the peace dramatically to end the israeli/arab conflict lead into ending the israeli/palestinian conflict and third is to further boost israel's economy. but the first is first. the first is iran. and i will only say this, that i will do everything in my power, israel's prime minister, to prevent iran from getting a nuclear arsenal that is

expressley directed at annihilating us and they also say not only death to israel but death to america. >> right. >> you don't want these people to have nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them. >> so the u.s. officials with whom i've spoken are spectacle there's a long-term solution to the iranian nuclear threat that is military in nature. they just think there cannot be that much achieved militarily, there could be piecemeal shots here and there, but not that much to prevent it or to stop it militarily. and the u.s. obviously thinks the long-term deal, the long-term solution, the long-term solution to the problem you're talking about has to be diplomatic. do you disagree? or do you see a way to solve this militarily that doesn't result in all-out war? >> oh, i don't think the iranians want an all-out war they'll lose. they have a different assessment of what they're facing.

they're careful about that. but i would say this, that if you have rogue regimes intent on nuclear weapons, you can sign 100 agreements with them. it doesn't help. in fact, there have been five. three of them were stopped with credible military action. saddam hussein's iraq. we knocked it out. syria's assad wanted to develop a nuclear capability, we knocked it out. ka daffy's libya wanted to develop a nuclear ability, america knocked it out -- >> but that was a diplomatic solution. >> with a threat. it would be next. >> the first two were actual military strikes. the third one was -- >> but there was a credible military threat. that's the point i'm making. the fourth north korea was signatory to the nuclear nonproliferation didn't do a damn thing. there was no credible military threat and they now have a nuclear arsenal and perhaps the means to reach the west coast of the united states and soon god knows what.

so there was no credible military threat. iran has faced a series of actions on our part and a series of paralyzing, crippling economic sanctions that we forged together with the united states and others in the international community. and that rolled iran's program back. they were about ten years behind where they expected to be. we know that for a fact. >> yeah. >> but they're advancing. and so i think the only way that you can stop a rogue state from getting nuclear weapons is a combination of crippling economic sanctions but the most important thing is a credible military threat and i would say this, if deterrence fails, you have no choice but to take action. does that stop history? no. i mean, can iran change? well, you see -- everybody sees now. i'll tell you what has changed. i have this clearly expressed the meanetings i had with jake sullivan and tony blinken, i

think there's been a moving of israel in the united states closer together because the world has moved closer to -- >> everybody sees -- >> iran, barberism there against their own people, the fact that they're supplying drones that kill innocent people in the heart of europe and ukraine. i think they have been unmasked. people understand, they recognize how dangerous this regime would be with nuclear weapons. and i think there are two aspects to preventing such an outcome. one is recognition. and the other is action. there is now recognition. we have yet to see the full action. next, prime minister netanyahu responds to massive protests in israel over new moves even some of his allies worry will significantly hurt israel's democracy. more of our exclusive interview, stick with us. ♪ the nerve. i recommend sensodyne. sensodyne toothpaste goes inside the tooth and calms s the nerve down. and my patents say: “you know doc, it really works."

i'd like to thank our sponsor liberty mutual. they customize your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. contestants ready? go! only pay for what you need. jingle: liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty.

even if you like a house, lowball the first offer. the house whisperer! this house says use the realtor.com app to see three different estimates. also, don't take advice from people who don't know what they're talking about. realtor.com to each their home. i've never been healthier. shingles doesn't care. but shingrix protects. proven over 90% effective, shingrix is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults 50 years and older. shingrix does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients or to a previous dose. an increased risk of guillain-barré syndrome was observed after getting shingrix. fainting can also happen. the most common side effects are pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, tiredness, headache, shivering, fever, and upset stomach. ask your doctor or pharmacist about shingrix today. next, prime minister

young lady who was, you know, mid 30s, couple of kids, recently went through a divorce. she had a lot of questions when she came in. i watched my mother go through being a single mom. at the end of the day, my mom raised three children, including myself. and so once the client knew that she was heard. we were able to help her move forward. your client won't care how much you know until they know how much you care. ♪ over the last 100 years, lincoln's witnessed a good bit of history. even made some themselves.

makes you wonder... what will they do for an encore? ♪ next, prime minister welcome back to cnn. i'm jake tapper in jerusalem, israel. prime minister benjamin netanyahu is leading what could be the far-most far right government in the history of israel. and it's proposed changes to the justice system have spurred massive protests in both jerusalem and tel aviv. even former member of netanyahu's government worries the move could bring down the country's democracy. i pressed the prime minister about this earlier tonight. so let's talk about your new government, because we are now in a period president biden

likes to say, i think you do as well, of a challenge of democracy versus autocracy. and you saw the weekend -- over the weekend massive protests throughout israel over your new judicial reform plan that would allow the knesset to overrule supreme court with a simple majority vote. in 2017 you touted the importance of a strong, independent, honest and impartial court. your own former defense minister tweeted, that this proposal would burn down the country and its values. what's your response? >> first of all, i haven't changed my view. i think we need a strong, independent judiciary but independent judiciary doesn't mean unbridled judiciary which is what happened here over the last 25 years. you know, we come from -- you spent -- i spent years in philadelphia. you grew up there. okay. there's this place called independence hall. and these brilliant people met there and they said, in order to

secure freedom and democracy, you need the balance between three branchs of government. okay? in israel that balance has been thrown askew. and you have one branch, huge branch, a tree trunk, the judiciary, basically overcoming and arrogating to itself the powers of the legislature and the government. >> with a simple majority vote to overturn a supreme court decision? i mean that seems pretty outrageous. we seen lots of people and you heard from the governor of the bank of israel, lots of serious business leaders, you're so proud and rightly so of the economy that you have helped build in israel and a lot of these same people are expressing concern to you, publicly and privately about what this means. >> well, i think they should look at the provisions of this reform. britain doesn't have a constitution like us. and the court cannot rule down -- strike down any decision

of the british parliament. >> you and your party right now could override anything -- >> no, wait, wait, wait. >> that the supreme court rules. >> there's checks and balances. >> a simple majority vote in the knesset. >> let me tell you -- and it will be if the other side -- >> you are willing to slow it down? >> i'm willing to hear counteroffers. i call for them. >> you are willing to slow it down. >> here is a country that has exactly this provision called canada. is canada not a democracy, britain not a democracy, new zealand not a democracy? because they all either have these provisions of such a provision or have no ability of the court to strike down laws. but here is the thing, look, jake, if i told you i came to the united states and i said to you -- here is the main provision that people really object to, okay. if i came to you and i said, look, i think your system of choosing, selecting judges where the president nominates the judges and the senate confirms

them in a public hearing, i think that's a danger to democracy. >> uh-huh. >> i think you should adopt a different system. the difference is a closed committee where three judges, supreme court judges and two members of the -- >> i'm not talking about your nominating of judges. >> wait a minute. this is a big thing. listen to this because they're saying this is the end of democracy. they decide whether or not are the judges. in other words, they self select. the judges self select themselves. and they say -- and this is a system we have in israel. and if i say to you, this is democracy. you would say that's ridiculous. it's unacceptable. people call that the end of democracy. they call what we propose we have in canada -- >> i didn't bring it up because i don't think that's really -- >> this is what people are talking about. >> people are talking about the overturning a supreme court decision with a simple majority in the united states. in the united states to amend the constitution it's incredibly arduous process. >> we don't have a constitution. >> to take a drastic measure, it

takes a huge effort, where as a simple what jurorty ty jurorte in the knesset. >> they don't want to hear. >> some say it's because of your corruption trial. that you're on trial right now for charges of bribery, fraud, breach of trust. you denied any wrong doing. you're fighting these charges. but what do you say to people who say, you're only trying to override the judiciary because of yourself and your own interests? >> none of the reforms -- that's false. none of the reforms that we're talking about is democratic reforms have anything to do with my trial. okay? and by the way, the trial is unraveling. you know, i had one request in this trial, which was conducted in the last year. only one request. televise it. they refused. but enough of it came out. the blackmailing of witnesses, the use of the most advanced spy ware on the planet against my -- that is supposed to be used against terrorist against my circle of associates. terrible things that have happened. and as a result, the trial is

unraveling. what happened in the last elections is that the trial was not -- was barely mentioned. >> right. >> why? because, you know, it's unraveling. but again, the reforms have nothing to do with these democratic reforms have nothing to do with my trial but they have something to do with the fact that we have lost the balance between the three branchs of government. in israel today, it's not only that the judges are self selecting, it's that they can strike down cabinet appointments, strike down laws of the parliament. they can strike down any and all decisions -- >> but you heard from supporters of yours, strong supporters of yours allen der sha wits says this will make it tougher for him to defend israel on the international stage. >> look, i respectfully disagree. i think it makes israel -- brings israel in line with most of the democracies of the world. because israel is right now an outlier. israel has the most extremism activist that's gone off the

rails. we're trying to bring it back to where just about all democracies are, both in the selection of judges and the balance between the branchs of government. it's gone haywire. and i think that correcting or restoring israeli democracy will make the democracy stronger. >> so let's -- >> judiciary will remain independent. rule of law will remain independent. property rights i hold san crow sangt independent. it will be there. so i think that these concerns, some of them are driven by lack of understanding, lack of information, slogan and some of them frankly by political opponents who lost the election, you know, they're hyperventilating, but you talk about 100,000 people, listen, we had just now 2.5 million people go to the polls and vote for us -- >> vote for you, yeah. >> i had demonstrations in the past -- >> but let's talk about the government you formed. >> economic reforms. we had 400,000 people.

they said this will destroy the economy. it didn't. they said when i took out the gas out of the water, the gas -- this will destroy democracy. it didn't. israel is now energy independent. when i brought in the peace reforms, the great change and the peace approach, this will destroy peace. it didn't. so, you know, they were wrong. >> let's talk about your new government that you just formed. you have appointed some individuals, controversial figures, not part of your party including ultranationalist. gavere is in charge of the security apparatus in israel. one of the first things is he banned palestinian flags used in demonstrations. that seems against free speech? do you agree with that? >> that's a law that's been in the books for quite some time. look, these two parties which got more seats than the previous

prime minister got, each one of them got more seats, more votes, but they joined -- i didn't join them. and i direct policy. i think my record both on peace, on democracy, on the economy, on everything else has been, i think very, very successful and the israeli people think it's successful. that's why they voted for me again and again and again and just now. i will say that there's tremendous hypocrisy in talking about my coalition partners because the outgoing partner had a government that hinged on one coalition partner, a party that was beholden to the muslim brotherhood who are anti-gay, anti-liberal, anti-west, anti-american, anti-democracy. i didn't hear a word. i heard silence. deafening silence. actually that's not true, jake. i heard a lot of protests from our neighboring arab government who said, listen, we're fighting these guys. they want to bring us all down and restore the middle east to some medieval theocracy and you're bringing them into the

government. well i heard from them but i didn't hear anyone of the people criticized me bringing these coalition partners now. a lot of hypocrisy here. i have my two hands on the wheel and believe me, it's going to be a good direction. >> surely the social issue positions of the muslim brotherhood is not the standard by which you want to associate yourself. i mean, just called himself a fascist homophobe. he suggested same sex marriage is like incest. the former deputy director said he was a jewish terrorist, he tried to stage an event when the gaza pullout was going on. the other day he was saying that he was putting out these horrible conspiracy theories. you must have seen this, about the assassination. these seem like rather extreme individuals. >> yeah, well a lot of people say a lot of things when they're not in power and sort of temper themselves when they get into power. that's certainly the case here.

i'm -- you know, i think that what you see is again i think there's a lot of hypocrisy. that's the point i was making. look, i'm controlling the government. and i'm responsible for its policies and the policies are sensible and responsible and continue to be that. >> well, that's good to hear because i know there are people in your government that have very different views on the law of return and who counts as a jews and who doesn't than you do. you say the way it is now you think will stay. >> yeah. i think we have to be very careful about tampering with the law of return because you know where you start you don't know where you end. and i've consistently felt that israel should remain the home for any jew that wants to make its home regardless of denomination, beliefs and so far. >> what about the visit to the temple in jerusalem, sacred to both jews and muslims and he refused to say whether he would change the status quo and allow jewish prayer on the temple mount who knows what that would

provoke. do you vow to maintain the status quo as prime minister? >> i sure have and we haven't changed and won't change it. but the fact that he went on the temple mount, so did his predecessors were ministers of internal security. i think all of them actually. so we didn't change the status, but it's the hype. the hype that says that we have. i'm very, very strict on this because it's outside our window here in jerusalem. it's the most potential explosive square mile on earth on the planet. and we've -- you know, it's been quiet, relatively speaking in historical terms, not when the muslims ruled it because they kicked out the jews and the christians. >> yeah. >> not when the christian crusaders ruled because they kicked out the muslims and the jews but only under israeli sovereignty we allowed free and unfeddered access to all three faiths and we'll continue to do that and keep the status quo. >> so earlier today mahmoud

abbas said that israel is, quote, trampling on the dignity of palestinian people and netanyahu rs their freedom and independence and a question that has confounded u.s. officials for a long time is the long-term plan for the west bank. you touched on it a little bit earl area. but are you really proposing a situation where the palestinians are under israeli control but do not have the right to vote in israeli -- in israeli elections? >> no. i think they vote for their own institutions. they have their own government -- >> as a separate institution? >> yeah, they have their own separate institutions today. i mean, we don't govern the palestinian areas. they have their own parliament and own institutions and have the same -- they're actually split into two. >> but you have the right -- israel would have the right to go in at any time. >> that's the important question because when we don't as in gaza, look what we got. we got a hamas islamic radical state fired 10,000 rockets into

israel. when we left lebanon, we got radical islamic state controlled by hezbollah fired another 10,000 rockets into israel. and by the way, the moderates, the more moderate or less extreme faction went down the tubes. the radicals took over. so, i think that in any long-term solution that you're talking about, the palestinians as i said before should be able to govern themselves without the powers to threaten us. that primarily means that israel is overriding security control. there is a solution. i think there is a lot of elements to it. i worked on it for several years. we didn't get the palestinians very far. every time we try to get the palestinians to come and negotiate a genuine thing which would require them to give up their fantasy of driving israel into the sea, including in the obama years. >> yeah. >> secretary kerry worked on this for years. i mean, he had endless -- >> very hard, yeah. >> finally had a framework for peace, which i disagreed with some of the things. i said, okay, listen, i'll come

in with my reservations. bring abbas and let him come with israel reservations. set it on the table. president obama calls me -- i visit him in the oval office. he says, president -- prime minister netanyahu is willing to enter under these reservations. are you? and president abbas said let me think about it and he never came back. >> never got back. >> they never come back because, you know, the palestinians are the pampered child of the international community. no one tells them to stop inciting in their schools to destroy israel, murder jews, celebrate the horrible murders of innocence. president abbas not condemned this horrific slaughter outside the synagogue on holocaust day. >> look, you can say what you want about the palestinian leadership, but to call the palestinian people pampered seems a bit much. >> leadership i said. they are. i think they've been pampered.

nobody is demanding from the palestinian leadership. >> so -- >> to stop calling public squares and honoring terrorists, to keep calling for the expulsion of the jews or calling jewss and pigs and monkeys and so on. these things never hit the international press. but they hit the palestinian press. they hit the palestinian children or educated to hate. look, their culture unfortunately celebrates death, our culture celebrates life. i hope it changes. i think it will when we end up having a broader peace with the arab world. it's bound to affect the palestinians. by the way i want simultaneously, i'm open to negotiations, i'm not waiting, reduced the number of israeli check points by half. i encourage israeli investments and joint ventures and like to see new peace partners in the gulf invest right here in -- >> that's an offer to abbas right now but he just has to meet you --

>> well, let them start changing life, you know. let's get a better life to israelis and palestinians. let's not just talk. this is real stuff. coming up, prime minister netanyahu on critic's claims that he is scared of vladimir putin. and his relationships with both donald trump and joe biden. more of our exclusive interview next. science proves quality sleep is vital to your mental, emotional, and physical health. and we know % of couples sleep too hot or too cold.

introducing the new sleep number climate360 smart bed. e only smart bed in the world that actively cools, warms, and effortlessly responds to both of you. our smart sleepers get 28 minutes more restful sleep per night. proven quality sleep. only from sleep number. migraine hits hard, so u hit back with ubrelvy u level up u won't take a time-out one dose of ubrelvy works fast it can quickly stop migraine in its tracks within 2 hours without worrying if it's too late or where you are unlike older medicines, ubrelvy is a pill that directly blocks a protein believed to be a cause of migraine. do not take with strong cyp3a4 inhibitors. most common side effects were nausea and tiredness. migraine pain relief starts with u learn how abbvie could help you save. ask about ubrelvy, the anytime, anywhere migraine medicine. noom helped jan unlearn the old ways of losing weight. matthew learned why he was eating. and gary figured out that... actually, i'll let him say it

weight loss starts with this. noom used psychology to help them lose a combined 120 pounds what noom provided was a better understanding for me of why i had seen food the way i had all my life. and that's a very powerful moment. keep up the great work gang. lose weight and make it last with noom weight. the pepperoni on panera's new toasted baguette. is sliced a little thicker. to hold more flavor. so when fresh mozzarella melts over it... that detail... will be big. try the new toasted baguettes from panera. one dollar delivery fee on our app.

welcome back with our cnn special report. i'm jake tapper in jerusalem. prime minister benjamin netanyahu now in his sixth term has worked with his fair share of u.s. presidents. he enjoyed especially close bond with former president trump before the pair had a falling out over the 2020 election. i asked netanyahu about that tonight and the decisions he's making right now about israel maybe helping ukraine. >> i have to turn to ukraine because last year you said you would look into providing military support for ukraine if you became prime minister. you are now. have you looked into it? are you considering reversing israel's opposition to providing

military support, i know you support and provide humanitarian support. but what about helping with the iron dome or previous defensive technology that you no longer even use, providing that for ukraine? >> well, i'm certainly looking into it. israel's -- israel had -- just had 250,000 ammunition shells that we have for prepositioning taken out by the u.s. it's an american decision. it's their decision. it's fine. i have no problem with that. and in fact, didn't raise any objection. it's not our decision. but it's a point that people have to understand. we just took -- the u.s. just took a huge chunk of israel's munitions and passed it on to ukraine. israel also frankly act in ways i will not itemize here against iran's weapons productions, which are used against ukraine.

>> yeah, russia has partnered with iran to kill ukrainian civilians. >> yeah. >> you're trying to take them out. you're saying you're taking out some of those arms? >> i'm saying that we are attacking iran's -- not only iran's nuclear program, trying to thwart it as i said, but also taking action against certain weapon development that iran has and iran invariably exports them. >> some of your critics say you seem afraid to alienate putin in any way. i'm wondering if you think putin was even justified in invading in attacking ukraine. >> of course not. it's not a question. of course not. but what we have with russia is a complex relationship because not very far from here, a few miles from here, on our northern border in syria, israeli aircraft and russian aircraft are flying within spitting distance of each other. that is russia is in militarily

in syria. iran is trying to implant itself in syria right next to our northern border the way they did in lebanon with hezbollah. >> they came in and check? >> no. we keep them in check. and in fact, i've adopted a policy over the last seven, eight years to militarily hit iran's military installation. they wanted to build an army here of 100,000 militia. we have taken them out. to do that i need to have -- israel needs to have freedom of air, freedom of action in the air. and that freedom of action could meet -- could have us confronting russian pilots. i prefer that not to happen. and i was very open with putin about that. i said, look, i have no choice to act. we can clash or we can make sure that we coordinate in such a way that our air forces do not clash. and i openly say that. i have no desire to enter a new israeli military confrontation and neither would you.

but at the same time, we've given ukraine a lot of humanitarian support. we have taken in jewish and nonjewish refugees in a very tiny country, israel, disproportionately and also offered other side of aid. i'm looking into other kinds of aid. but realistically israel in confronting iran is also confronting the main partner of russia. >> so, you have mentioned how president biden is a friend of 40 years. and obviously you haven't always seen eye to eye on a lot of issues. he says he once signed a photo bibi i don't agree with a damn thing you say but i love you. how would you describe your relationship when it comes to nobody is there, just you two on the phone. he's telling you what he needs from you. you're telling him what you need from him. >> exactly what happens. i mean, look, we've been around the block so many times. we were the new kids on the block when he came in as a young

senator from delaware and i came in as a young israeli diplomat, number two in our embassy. this was 1982. so we've known each other a long time. that's 40 years. and we speak openly to one another. i think president biden's commitment to israel is real. it's not just words. it's genuine, it comes from the heart. and our commitment, my commitment to the alliance with the united states is real. it's gone through many presidents and it doesn't -- it has to be bipartisan, i believe in that. but it doesn't mean we don't -- we agree on everything. we disagreed on a number of things. we disagreed on iran. less disagreement today i have to say. we disagreed on other things. and we agreed on many things. we agreed that alliance has to be unshakable. when you look at the middle east and look at this part of the world, and you say, well, where do you have a bastien of common interests and common values? it's israel. and most americans understand that. our interests are sound.

israel remains democratic and will be democratic after these democratic reforms will be more democratic. >> it's not democratic in the west bank, though. i think that's the argument that the biden -- >> no. i don't say that we don't have right now military needs, but i'm saying that we can fashion them in a civilian agreement that maintains israel's overriding security. i don't think the palestinians are there. but i will say that our interests are converging as never before because in the 21st century, the future belongs to those who innovate. israel is the innovation nation. the other innovation nation. i think the u.s. is the big one. israel is the second one. and we provide invaluable intel, invaluable cybersecurity, weapons development and civilian technology that is changing the world. that's why our arab neighbors came to the abraham accords. both for security but also for civilian technology which betters the lives of their people. >> one thing i wanted to ask you

about, about russia and ukraine is that an adviser to zelenskyy floated your name as somebody who might be a decent mediator between zelenskyy and putin, between ukraine and russia. i'm wondering if anyone in any position of power has ever floated that idea to you? and what would be your willingness to take >> i was asked to do that early on in the break out of the ukraine war. and i was opposition leader at the time. and i said, well, i have a rule. one prime minister at a time. you know, like one president at the time. >> who asked you to do it? >> i was asked. i don't know if it was official. it was unofficial, so i did not even pursue it. i said there is a prime minister, let him, you know, decide what to do. he tried, didn't succeed. but if -- >> would you do it now? >> if i'm asked by both sides, frankly, if i'm asked by the

united states. because i think, you know, you can't have too many cooks in the kitchen. and you know, you know, we have our own backyard to deal with. >> right. >> it's not that i -- i think this is of monumental importance, because i think a piece of the world is at stake. as i think the piece of the world is at stake with iran getting nuclear weapons, it will destabilize the entire world. and so, you know, i'm really devoting my efforts to that. and the other piece, ideas that i have, economic ideas. but if asked by all relevant parties, i will certainly consider it. but i'm not pushing myself, you know. which, you know, i've been around long enough to know that there has to be but a right time and the right circumstances. if they arise, i will certainly consider. >> trump has already launched a 2024 presidential bid. you have said if effusive

things for what he did for israel while he was president. but you also criticized him for the insurrection, the insight, which you called, quote, a disgraceful act which must be vigorously condemn. as recent shocking willingness to sit down and break bread with holocaust deniers and virulent antisemites nick fuentes and kanye west. do you have any concerns if donald trump is back in the white house? do you think snow for the republican party to look to a new generation of leadership? >> first of all, i did praise president trump, because he did great things for israel. he recognize jerusalem as our capital, kind of late, because 3000 years ago, king david proclaimed it as such. he moved the american embassy there. he recognized our sovereignty in the golan heights. he led out what what i thought was the dangerous nuclear deal with iran. he helped me forge the forest arc peace accords with the arab states. i think he made a big mistake on this kanye west thing. and i said so.

i'm not going to intervene in your politics, you know that. you tried, it's good that you tried to get me involved in politics. but you do your job, and i will do my job. i want to stay away from the politics. that the people decide. >> coming up next, prime minister benjamin netanyahu on the rise of antisemitism around the globe. and how he thinks the world and jews respond. more from our exclusive interview, coming up. at adp, we understand business today looks nothing like it did yesterday. while it's more unpredictable, itpossibilities are endless. from paying your people i from anywherey. we use data driven insights to design hr solutions and services to help businesses of all size work smarter today.

so, they can have more success tomorrow. ♪ one thing leads to another ♪ this is lily. when you see things differently, you can be the difference. ♪ capella university sees education differently. our flexpath learning format helps you control the pace and cost of your master's degree. technically when enamel is gone, you cannot get it back. but there are ways you can repair it. i'm excited about pronamel repair

because it penetrates deep into the tooth to help actively repair acid-weakened enamel. i recommend pronamel repair to my patients. when it comes to reducing sugar in your family's diet, the more choices, the better. that's why america's beverage companies are working together to deliver more great tasting options with less sugar or no sugar at all. in fact, today, nearly 60% of beverages sold contain zero sugar. different sizes? check. clear calorie labels? just check. with so many options, it's easier than ever to find the balance that's right for you. more choices. less sugar. balanceus.org hi, susan. honey. yeah. i respect that. but that cough looks pretty bad. try this robitussin honey. the real honey you love, plus the powerful cough relief you need. mind if i root through your trash? robitussin. the only brand with real honeyand elderberry.

(vo) at wells fargo, direct deposits come up to two days early with early pay day. what if everything came two days early? (hero) have a good weekend! alright now... have a good weekend. (co-worker) but it's wednesday... (co-worker 2) see you monday! (co-worker 3) am i missing something? (hero) it's the weekend baby... see you later.

(vo) like getting things two days early? when it comes to payday, you can with wells fargo. (co-worker 4) what are you doing this weekend? >> welcome back from jerusalem. we are here at a time when anti-semitic rhetoric and attacks are on the rise in the united states and around the world. i asked prime minister netanyahu why he thinks that's happening and how he hopes to fight antisemitism as prime minister of the jewish state. >> so, lastly sir, i come here just a few days after international holocaust remembrance day. and this comes at a time when antisemitism is definitely going around the world and in

the united states. holocaust denialism is going around the world and in the united states, on the left and the right. we see it more among some politicians, more mainstream politicians on the right. but it's all over college campuses on the left in the united states. and it's obviously quite dispiriting. and i know you take your role, not only as prime minister of israel, but also prime minister of the jewish state, formed out of the ashes of the holocaust, seriously. and i wonder what you make of it? >> you know, my father was a great historian, but also a historian of antisemitism. and i love him that antisemitism has deep roots. it actually goes back, as a doctorate, 2500 years but, to helen's stick egypt. that's where it began. 500 years before christiane. 80 and it's taken on shapes, change shapes. but it basically says, you know

it holds the jews responsible for all the evils of the world. and as pervaiz these horrible myths about the jewish people. they drink the blood of christian children, that's what they said in the middle ages. they actually say that about israel today. i think the current form of antisemitism is not only directed at jewish communities in the united states and elsewhere, it's directed against the jewish state, the jewish people, their right to have a jewish state, an ancestral homeland. i think that's one classic manifestation of antisemitism. what i learned from my father and whatever history is that you may not be able to eradicate it if it's been around that long. but you have to be able to resist it. to resist it, first of, all the jewish people have to stand up proud and be strong. non-jews have to realize that hatred that begins with the jews doesn't end there. we saw that with taylor. it just spreads and involves integrate inflammation to others. i think my own rule and my own

responsibility as the prime minister of israel is to keep the jewish state very strong, to support the governments who oppose antisemitism, and many do, to support the jewish communities, to tell people to be proud, to stand strong, to fight back the lies, and to fight back these bigots. don't let them when the day. >> premised netanyahu, thank you so, much i really appreciate your time. and i know i speak for everyone watching right now that i hope things de-escalate. and i hope soon there is a peace and prosperity here among the israeli and people, the palestinian people, and the arab states around here at the time. >> thank you, i appreciate it. >> thank you for watching our full exclusive interview with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. i want to throw it over to cnn tonight, and my friend and colleague wolf blitzer, who has of course covered israel for decades and interviewed netanyahu many times. wolf, what did you think of the prime minister? >> well, i thought your interview, first of all, jake, was terrific. i think you asked really important, very, very strong